Janssen and Monash Uni to work together on early RA detection

CreakyJoints Australia was excited to learn of a new collaboration between pharmaceutical giant, Janssen Biotech Inc (a division of Johnson & Johnson), and the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (MBDI) at Monash University.

The new partnership was jointly announced on Monday 5 June by Monash University President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Margaret Gardner AO, along with the Victorian Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade, Philip Dalidakis MP, representatives from Janssen, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, and the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute.1

The reason for our excitement? The collaboration will focus on research around the early detection and prevention of rheumatoid arthritis – a debilitating auto-immune condition that many of us know all too well!

Rheumatoid arthritis affects more than 400,000 Australians of all ages. It has no known cause or cure. Until recently, the time taken to translate research breakthroughs into new medications and therapies has been decades. Sometimes, the discoveries have remained locked in piles of research papers that have never again seen the light of day.

This innovative collaboration reflects a growing trend to fast-track the translation of new discoveries into clinical applications that will improve the quality of life for all RA suffers as soon as possible.

ARC Laureate Fellow and Imaging Centre of Excellence Chief Investigator, Professor Jamie Rossjohn, has been leading the research team from MBDI. He commented:

“This collaboration is a great opportunity to take our advances in basic biomedical science and translate them to the market for the betterment of the Australian population and worldwide.”

The Melbourne-based project will also have a significant positive impact on the local and national economy through the creation of jobs and partnerships with related industries in the city’s south-east corridor.

CreakyJoints Australia will be following this project closely in the near future.